Saturday, September 22, 2007

I really wanted today to be a Sleep-In Saturday. But my body is so programmed to be up at a certain time in the morning that I think it's stuck. Or maybe it's that I am getting old.

This morning I woke up at 4:41, told myself it was Saturday, the only day of the week that I try not to get up before the crack of dawn, and tried to fall back asleep. It didn't work. I found myself composing a blog entry in my head on the tragedy of waking up early on a Saturday.

Every morning my alarm is set to wake me up at precisely 5:03 am. Why 5:03? Well, it started many years ago when I wanted to get up early but five in the morning seemed such an ungodly hour, but that's when I needed to be up if I wanted to have sometime for myself. Somehow 5:00 o'clock seemed a little too close to 4:59, which would mean that I was getting up when it was still four in the morning, so three minutes into the five o'clock hour seemed more agreeable to me.

Hey, we all have our quirks.

In the last few weeks I have been waking up before the alarm at almost the exact same time every morning: 4:44. I could jump out of bed and get a start in the day but usually, I lay in bed like a dog in a "down-stay" until the alarm goes off. The automatic timer on the coffee pot won't have my coffee ready until 5am. If I get out of bed an earlier it won't be ready, and that is no fun.

This morning, I wake up and it's still dark. I look at the clock.

Its 4:41am.

Oh rats! It's Saturday, roll over and go to sleep.

Bad idea. My bladder is about to explode, which means I have to get out of bed and walk across the room to the bathroom. The chances of falling asleep after getting out bed are pretty slim. How long can I hold it? Hmmm, what time is it again? Don't open both eyes when you look at the clock, if both eyes aren't open maybe the body won't think it's awake. No, if you get up it's over, if you sleep on your back you might not have to get up for at least another hour.

4:43am -

Go back to sleep. Go BACK to sleep! I'm not going to be able to concentrate on sleep if my bladder is full, maybe if go quickly to the bathroom, don't open your eyes and try not to think too much, then get back into bed close your eyes and go back to sleep.

4:44 am -

OK! all is good. Go back to sleep...

4:46 am -

If I get up I could blog since I didn't have time to write yesterday...I wonder if my coffee is ready?

4:48 -

This is ridiculous. Get up and get going!

And here I am. Now it is 5:43 and I have downed my first cup of coffee and I am ready for seconds.

Who knew that almost a decade ago when getting up early, (something I had to MAKE myself do) would become a problem of the opposite issue. Now, I have find a way to be able to sleep in one morning of the week!

Actually, I think I will take my (2nd) cup of coffee and my camera outside and get some pictures of the sunrise. In the mornings when I am running while the sun comes up I always feel sad that I don't have my camera. That alone is worth waking up early!

3
comments:

I had laugh when I read about your reasoning of why your alarm is set at 5:03am...because I think exactly the same way! All of my alarms (I work different shifts, so I wake up at different times different days) are set at numbers such as 4:03, 5:07, 6:02 and 7:04.

Poor Kellie!! I woke up early at 5:30ish to the sound of my husband showering in dirt soap (yep) for day one of youth hunting season. But I actually fell back asleep and had a funny dream I actually remembered for once. I will have to tell it to you sometime.